The present invention relates generally to hay harvesting machines, commonly referred to as mower-conditioners, and, more particularly, to improvements in the conditioning roll drive mechanism to permit a reduction in the transverse width of the mower-conditioner.
Mower-conditioners have been provided for the harvesting of hay for a number of years. A mower-conditioner severs standing crop material and conveys the severed crop material rearwardly into a conditioning mechanism without depositing the severed crop upon the ground. The conditioning mechanism has undertaken many forms; however, a preferred embodiment utilizes a pair of generally vertically disposed intermeshing rubber rolls to crimp and/or crush severed crop material passing therebetween. To obtain the most efficient conditioning of the severed hay crop, it is desirable that the transverse width of the conditioning rolls be substantially equal to the transverse width of the cutting mechanism severing the hay crop.
Generally, a mower-conditioner is provided with a drive mechanism transversely disposed of the conditioning and cutting mechanisms. The drive mechanism generally includes a power input shaft connectable to a source of rotational power, a gearbox and associated drive transfer devices connected to the conditioner rolls and the cutting mechanism. Accordingly, the overall transport width of the mower-conditioner is defined by the transverse width of the conditioning rolls and/or cutting mechanism plus the additional width required for the drive mechanism.
To comply with stringent highway regulations in Europe, among other places, it is necessary that the overall transport width of the mower-conditioner not exceed three meters. Because of the spacial location of the conditioning rolls with respect to the gearbox, a mere shortening of the conditioning roll drive shafts to reduce the overall transport width of prior art mower-conditioners, would result in an undesirable universal joint angle for one or both of the drive transfer devices to the conditioning rolls. Accordingly, the problem presented is one of maximizing the transverse width of the conditioning rolls without adversely affecting the drive to the conditioning rolls and maintaining the overall transport width requiremtnts of the mower-conditioner.